https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/explore-scientific-70-eyepieces.html. There is no problem using a Celestron eyepiece in a Meade telescope, for example. Below .5 mm exit pupil, floaters in the eye become more apparent and can be bothersome. This eye piece provides the maximum true field of view in the 1.25 inch format. In addition, the eyepiece would be a Huygens or Ramsden design, where two lenses made of the same type of glass could be combined to yield minimal false color fringing, as long as the focal length of the telescope remained fairly long. What Is A Barlow Lens For A Telescope? No price limit. Plossl eyepieces are often included in better telescope packages as the starter eyepieces. So speaking of the Barlow as if it modifies the FL of the eyepiece, while technically not correct, does provide an easier model to understand the net effect. They have a narrow AFOV but have a reputation for being very sharp.. No surprise there. This is not a hard and fast rule, just a cautionary note. Omni 15mm Eyepiece - 1.25" Learn More. These are just a few examples of eyepieces that I have used, and some that I own. This makes them a bit more complex and expensive than other designs, but also gives them a wider field of view, reasonable eye relief, and reduces optic aberrations. This determines how much light the telescope will gather. However, for your extra money you get the finest manufacture, the best polish and coatings available. Can you help me. They provide a range of magnifications with one eyepiece. A Plossl eyepiece is one of the most decent general-purpose eyepieces that are available on the market. As is outstanding in the workmanship, a Plossl type eyepiece is a moderately wide field eyepiece involving two colorless doublets in which the crown components generally face each other. Such eyepieces are able to offer great performance, i.e., satisfactory degrees of deviations, to about a 50.degree field. I have a 4 element (traditional) and a 5 element 32mm Meade, both from the same era in Japan, and the 5 element is much better by quite a bit. Let us know in the comments if there is anything else you want to ask or share your thoughts on this post, always looking forward to feedback from others who will benefit from it as well! They also offer a generous 16 mm of eye relief which is most important in the shorter focal lengths. You could say Super Plossls are not much more than a marketing tactic these days. There are certainly much better options out there but at a significant cost. When discussing eyepieces, you will hear people comment on how well the eyepiece is corrected. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Meade 32mm 2" 5-element Super Plossl Wide Field Eyepiece at the best online prices at eBay! or a Baader Classic Ortho 18mm with both a 1.5/2x Barlow and 3x Barlow. The magnification range that is appropriate to your scope. Below 20 however, the eye relief makes it difficult for me and my glasses so Ive been replacing my 5-15 EPs with 82 degree EPs with more relief. Comparing to Plossl eyepieces, Super Plossl is somewhat better for astronomy. I often had to drop back to about 180X because of poor seeing and transparency. If you wear glasses when observing, you probably want 15mm or more of eye relief, which the 20mm Plssl provides, but the shorter fl ones dont. These are exceptional eyepieces, and only available on the used market nowadays. Focus on the magnifications rather than the mm of the eyepieces. They are usable, but your eye will be extremely close to the top lens glass. This might contain more of what you need. A wide-angle view of 66 degrees makes it perfect for viewing large objects and even entire constellations while still being able to focus on smaller details with ease. My friend has one and he really likes it, and it is his third telescope. They include links to them where they can be ordered. There was an old Meade Super-Plossl design that used an additional lens element and could reach a wider field of view. The 5-lens-element pseudo-Masuyamas that telesonic mentioned are/were fine eyepieces. At one time Plssls were premium eyepieces. On the inside, they are exactly the same design. Hi Ed, Are Plossl eyepieces any good? As said, they are cheap to compare. Hayppy that now I have more facts to put in my decision. You really understood the material. You probably dont need to worry about upgrading them as soon as you get your telescope, unless you can see an optical problem in the one youre using or you find the short eye relief for the short-focus eyepiece uncomfortable. It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. Again, for no other reason than to compare it to the 17mm Hyperion and draw your own conclusions about Plssls. Field of view, is about finding, framing, drift time, and context. I once had to use a 6mm Plossl to attempt to perform a star-test collimation for a telescope at the observatory. In the next section, we will talk about the AFOV of an eyepiece. If you are very demanding and must have the very best, this is where you want to be. That's how cost-efficient the entire package is! Differences and Similarities. Warranty Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. Brilliant article and I thank you for it, I was literally really confused prior to reading it. If you are completely new to stargazing, Kellner eyepieces are absolutely fine. If you want to buy him $200 eyepieces so he can grow into them, that works. Note that as we get into the higher magnifications, the millimeter jumps between eyepiece focal lengths gets smaller. It is pretty much worth it for everyone that has a telescope with a 1.25 inch focuser to have a 32mm Plssl. However, Orion has managed to make one that is quite compatible with most styles of telescope. It may be a bit less than that in reality but for practical purposes that is close enough. The Japan made 16mm Meade 3000 was a very nice medium power plossl and the 40mm in that series was surprisingly nice as well. Its quite long but that is what we are aiming for and hopefully, it was useful to you. Meanwhile, Plossl eyepieces are much more common and easy to find. But the difference in price to get to the next level is high, and the performance difference may be small. AP is all about the mount and accurate tracking. I've got a one-off plossl like that in my kit that I'll probably never sell, (aside from my 5 element ones) and it's one that is rarely seen. Celestron 2026 Erecting Prism Barlow Lens Set is another great choice for those looking to get a variety of magnifications. The downside to this type of lens is that they can cause chromatic aberration which creates colored spots around bright objects such as planets or stars due to the different wavelengths not going through equally. You use the 8-24 zoom for the midrange. This is just a planning target. Any exit pupil between 7 mm and .5 mm is just fine. I have since moved up to a 12 Dob but I use the same eyepieces and the BH Zoom continues to be my most used. I have not had an opportunity to test it yet but the general discussions have favorable. Despite one being fundamentally superior to the other in terms of image correction, Kellners and Plossls are generally quite comparable in terms of the image you actually see. I often recommend the use of a barlow to achieve the higher range of magnifications. Super Plossl eyepieces are generally a little smaller than this at around 16-20 mm in size, which is why theyre sometimes referred to as wide-angle or low power plossls. I hear that, sometimes you find one that is sweeter than others. If we want to get VERY specific to a combination then inherent aberrations of this scope and that eyepiece could produce a unique result. As we go along, I will refer back to these, so dont worry if you cant answer the questions or understand the formulas now. If we combine a Barlow with an 8-24 mm zoom eyepiece, we have an amazing range. There are three types of Plossl eyepiece: the regular, Super, and Orthoscopic. They all work, but as you go up in price, you gain features or performance or both. Do you think it would be sensible for me to look at getting a higher magnification specific eyepiece? Are Plossl eyepieces good? . In stargazing, eyepieces are as important as telescopes are. Kellner eyepieces were first designed by Carl Kellner in 1849. I have seen some gatekeeping in this hobby about Kellners, and Im not sure I understand it. There is no shortage of accessories for the Nexstar series. Orion Sirius Plossl eyepieces are ideal for any type of telescope; refractor, reflector, or catadioptic. As new anti-reflection coatings were developed, it became possible to actually make use of complex lens arrangements (not just in relatively simple 4-element systems but also in convoluted, extreme wide-field eyepieces such as the TeleVue Nagler). They have a pop-up eye guard and they are threaded to accept filters. Typically, these will be 25 mm and 10 mm or something close to that. Good evening everybody. It's no surprise that the eyepieces in our Sirius Plossl line are our best-selling telescope eyepieces. This is important to keep in mind because it means brands have to try really hard to one-up each other because the competition in a niche hobby such as astronomy can be fierce. Some will offer longer eye relief which can be important to eyeglass wearers. The original design for Plossl eyepieces has existed since 1860. What should one opt for a 2 EP over a 1.25? I would like to know what is best for a 7 year old that would be getting his first telescope. Was compairing the Apertura standard 15mm Plossl with their 15mm super wide angle eyepiece (70 afov). I started with the Celestron zoom. A Barlow lens is an optical device that goes between the eyepiece and the focuser. Explore Scientific, like many eyepiece providers, have higher-priced and budget lines. If you do upgrade, youll probably want to go for a different eyepiece design than a Plosslsomething with a sharper image or a wider field of view or a longer eye relief (or all three.). This would definitely matter to observers who wear eyglasses when viewing. By having a range of magnifications, you can optimize the image, which means you need more eyepieces. You can find the eyepieces I use and recommend in this article. Do I need an adapter if my scope has a Plossl lens? It's one of the best choices you have when it comes to budget stargazing. Between $100 and $250, I will call it mid-range. Excellent article, thank you very much for taking the time to publish it.